Riding the Midget Beltline

by Kristine Schmucker, HCHM Curator

Recently, on facebook, we posted an album of the animals that were kept at the Athletic Park "zoo" during the 1950s through 70s.

Monkey
Athletic Park, Newton, Ks
1954

This was followed by a photograph of the elephant slide that was once part of the play equipment at the park. 

Elephant Slide, 2013
Originally located in Athletic Park, now on private property.

The memories people shared were wonderful!  

This post will highlight another piece of Athletic Park history - the Midget Beltline Railroad, Newton, Kansas. For approximately seven summers (1962-1968), Harvey County kids and their parents were able to ride a midget steam locomotive around Athletic Park.

"Working on the Railroad" was the caption for a photo in the Newton Kansan for May 19, 1962.  Twelve men were laying track in a big circle north of the Athletic Field for the midget railroad. Two men, W.C. Peters, a retired "roadmaster", and Clinton Spencer, a retired locomotive engineer, were in charge of the project. Others involved included; E.J. Gomez, Johm Arellano, Martin Lepe, Frank Flores, Sisto Avilla, Otho Blankenship, Manuel Perez, Ramando Jasso, John Martinez, and Ramido Carrion. They planned to have the railroad operational by the beginning of summer. (Kansan, 19 May 1962) The men laid 1,080 feet of track in Athletic Park for the locomotive, one tender, and two passenger cars. 

Children could buy a share in the Midget Beltline Railroad Inc., Newton, Kansas, for $10.

Certificates from:
Thiesen, John D. "Athletic Park Steam Train, Newton, Kansas:
A Forgotten Piece of Newton's Railroad History".
 http://people.bethelks.edu/jthiesen/athparktrain.html.

The train, a 14-inch gauge, 4-8-4 Hudson Class steam locomotive, was built by a Lindsborg, Kansas machinist and inventor Henry Lungstrom in approximately 1950.  Two miniature passenger coaches were also built. He had track laid out to operate the train across the street from what is today the Old Mill Museum in Lindsborg, Ks.  

Midget Beltline Railroad, Athletic Park, Newton, Ks 1966
Clinton Spencer, owner and operator
Courtesy HCHM Photo Archives

By the early 1960s, the train was in Newton.  Once the track was laid, Clinton Spencer operated the railroad on weekends and holidays throughout the summer.  The train was available for pictures with special permission. Clinton Spencer served as the owner and general manager for the seven summers the train ran.

Midget Beltline Railroad, Athletic Park, Newton, Ks 1966
Clinton Spencer, owner and operator
Courtesy  HCHM Photo Archives

Sometime after the 1968 season, the train was moved to Greensburg, Kansas, to another park-like setting, "Burketown."  In 1988, the train was purchased by the St. Louis Iron Mountain railroad in Jackson, Missouri. 

Midget Beltline Railroad, Athletic Park,
Newton, Ks 1963
Clinton Spencer, owner and operator
Courtesy HCHM Photo Archives

Clinton Spencer passed away 15 May 1971.

Do you have memories or photos of the train in 

Athletic Park, please share.

Sources:

• Newton Kansan, 19 May 1962, 1 June 1962, 23 April 1963, 11 June 1965, 4 October 1966, and 6 April 1968.
• "Clinton Spencer" Obituary, Newton Kansan, 15 May 1971.
• Thiesen, John D. "Athletic Park Steam Train, Newton, Kansas: A Forgotten Piece of Newton's Railroad History". http://people.bethelks.edu/jthiesen/athparktrain.html.